Doing Business in Portugal

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, and is a Romance language originally derived from Latin. In Portugal’s period of colonial empire in the 16th century, the language spread worldwide, and for this reason Portuguese is now the official language in countries such as Brazil, Mozambique, East Timor and Angola. The language of Mirandese is recognised as a regional official language in some areas of the northeast of the country, and is spoken by some 5000 people.

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Economy

Officially recognised as the 13th most globalised country in the world, Portugal was a founding member of the EU in 1960, as well as of the Euro in 1999. Surprisingly, it has the lowest GDP in Western Europe, at $236.967 billion (2008 est.), but despite this it has a stable and for some time a quickly growing and modernising economy. It is also a member of organisations such as NATO, OECD and the UN. 60% of Portugal’s workers are employed in the service industry, for example in tourism. Industry employs 30% of workers,in trades for export such as textiles, footwear, paper, metals, oil refining, ship construction and aerospace development, as well as the country’s famed Port wine. The country’s imports include machinery, textiles and agricultural produce. The country has such natural resources as fish, forest, metal ores and hydropower, and its major trading partners are bordering Spain, France, Germany, US, UK and the Netherlands. Currently, the country’s focus on high-tech industry means that Portugal exports more technology than it imports.
In 1985 Anibal Cavaco Silva was elected prime minister, heralding an era of free-market economic policy, however during the 90s the country voted in a Socialist government, and in 1999 Portugal became founding member of the European Economic and Monetary Union.

Science and Technology

Much of Portugal’s technological and scientific research takes place in Research and Development departments of universities and state-run institutions, with research centres dealing in the biosciences receiving worldwide renown, for example the Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular. The Lisbon Oceanarium is the largest aquarium in the world, one of many examples of the promotion of science and culture in the museums sector, for example elsewhere in the National Museum of Natural History and the Science Museum.Portugal has expanded a series of science parks across the country.

Energy

Portugal is a key proponent of renewable and sustainable energy sources, as proved by its founding in 2001 the E4 Policy (Energy Efficiency and Endogenous Energies). As well as looking for sustainable options for future energy sources, and so helping to slow climate change by reducing gas emissions , the programme was also designed to increase Portugal’s competitive status on the world economic stage. In the next ten years, the programme will focus on the supply and demand sides of energy efficiency, and the use of endogenous energy. Portugal currently uses such renewable energy sources as hydropower, wind power and geothermal energy.

What forms of interpreter services can TJC Global provide?

Video/videoconference interpreting: (Video Remote Interpreting is also available) TJC provides professional language interpreting services to support a wide range of events, including business meetings, conferences, legal proceedings (court hearings, arbitration, or litigation), and other online business interactions across industries.

Participants can connect via video or voice calls using computers, laptops, smartphones, or tablets. If needed, sessions can be recorded to facilitate the creation of meeting minutes. Our highly qualified interpreters seamlessly join virtual meetings, events, or proceedings to provide remote interpretation in the language pairing required, ensuring clear and effective communication for all parties involved. Additionally, we offer relay interpreting services as needed.

Telephone/teleconference interpreting: Telephone or teleconference interpreting is an efficient solution for overcoming language barriers. The interpreter can either work remotely (separate from both parties) or be physically present with one of the parties. In either scenario, they provide interpreting services through a telephone conferencing setup.

This service is particularly valuable for clients unable to travel internationally but still need to conduct business discussions or share progress updates. At TJC Global, we are proud to offer professionally qualified interpreters in a wide range of language combinations, ensuring clear and effective communication.

Simultaneous & Consecutive interpreting

Simultaneous interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI))
Simultaneous interpreting is ideal for international conferences, high-stakes business discussions, seminars, and symposiums. Typically, two to three interpreters work from a soundproof booth, separate from the audience. They take turns interpreting at high speed, switching every 15–20 minutes to maintain focus and ensure the highest quality interpretation.

Using headsets, the interpreters listen to the speaker’s message and deliver it in the target language almost instantly (“simultaneously”) to the intended audience. This method also supports relay interpreting, which is especially useful for multilingual presentations where speakers use several languages.

Consecutive interpreting (also available with Video Remote Interpretation (VRI)) is one of the most widely used types of interpretation. It is suitable for business discussions, negotiations, contract signings, commercial, legal, and technical meetings, medical appointments, court hearings, on-site inspections, and audits.

In this mode, the interpreter listens carefully to the speaker, often taking notes, and then conveys the meaning in the target language. They typically wait for a natural pause or for the speaker to finish a segment before delivering the interpretation quickly and accurately.

Consecutive interpreting is also commonly employed in conferences for panel discussions, Q&A sessions, or private interactions between parties, whether at a stand or another setting.

Looking for translation or interpreting assistance?

TJC Global provides specialist interpreting and translation services in various specialist fields. Whatever your requirements, we can find the right linguist to assist you. If your industry or project type is not listed here, please contact us directly with your enquiry.

Our language specialists utilise their knowledge of subject-specific terminology to deliver precise, unambiguous translations, whatever the context – enabling you to communicate effectively with the rest of the world. We are also able to adapt to almost any type of project.

What to do next? Contact us

Please use the Quick Quote system above for a quote for interpreting, translation services or a related enquiry.
If you would like more information about our language services, please contact us.